


Singing the theme to 'North by Northwest'

by tablelamp



Category: The Holiday (2006)
Genre: F/M, Love, Phone Calls & Telephones, Surprises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-20
Updated: 2018-11-20
Packaged: 2019-08-23 19:47:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16625345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tablelamp/pseuds/tablelamp
Summary: It's just another transatlantic conversation with Miles, until it isn't.





	Singing the theme to 'North by Northwest'

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ultra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultra/gifts).



Iris and Miles called each other whenever they had a spare moment, but the eight-hour time difference meant that often their spare moments didn't come at times that were good for both of them. Tonight, Iris was working from home, grappling with final edits to one of her upcoming columns, and she needed a distraction. Besides, it had been six months since she and Miles had had the chance to visit in person, and she missed him. So she rang him, hoping she wouldn't be interrupting anything.

Miles picked up after two rings. "Hey, Iris."

Just the sound of Miles's voice made Iris feel better. "Hi, Miles. Is this a bad time?"

"No, it's a great time. Oh, hang on a minute...I didn't start the conversation off right. Dun dada dun dada da-DA-da," Miles sang. He'd begun singing a film theme at the start of their phone conversations as a joke, but now that he'd found out Iris liked it, he did it every time.

" _North by Northwest_ ," Iris said.

"Yup!" Miles said. "How are you?"

Iris turned to look out of the window, pulling a face at the damp, gloomy night. "Wet. It's been raining all day here."

"Do you need an umbrella? Because I will definitely bring you one," Miles said.

Iris smiled, closing her laptop and stretching out in her chair. "We do have umbrellas in Britain."

"Yeah, except you call 'em brollies. Right? 'Oh 'ello, guv'nor, I was off to the pub for some bubble and squeak with me brollie.'" Miles's attempt at a Cockney accent was terrible, though Iris suspected it was terrible on purpose.

Iris laughed, stretching over her head with her free arm and then bringing a hand down to rub her dry eyes. "It's good to hear your voice. How are you?"

"I'm good," Miles said. "Just finished a score for a suspense movie, which is why I've got Bernard Herrmann on the brain."

"Tell him to get off your brain. You'll need it later," Iris said with a grin. She could be playful with language with Miles in a way that she could be playful with very few others in her life, and she loved that about talking to him.

Miles laughed. "I'll do that. Thank you. How's next week's column?"

"Legible, I hope," Iris said, with a doleful glance at her laptop. "I've been staring at it so long I can't tell anymore."

"Know what I'd do if I were there?" Miles asked, his voice warm. "I'd give you a neck rub and make you some tea."

"That would be brilliant," Iris said. "Of course, I can't promise that I wouldn't fall asleep, given the hours I've been working."

"Hey, listen, if you fell asleep, I would consider it a job well done," Miles said. "The point is to relax, right, and what's more relaxing than sleeping?"

Iris chuckled. "Right." She'd been meaning to ask Miles something. What was--oh yes. "How's Arthur?"

"Arthur's great," Miles said, a smile in his voice. "In fact, he's been really happy lately."

"Oh? Why is that?" Someone knocked on Iris's door, and Iris sighed. "Someone's at the door, Miles. Can you wait a moment?"

"Sure," Miles said.

Iris got up, heading to the door, ready to send away whoever was tactless enough to knock on her door at half-past nine and expect some sort of civil response...and then she opened the door, and Miles was standing there, his mobile in one hand and an umbrella in the other.

"Told you I'd bring you an umbrella," Miles said.

Iris nearly dropped her phone in surprise. "You're here."

Miles nodded. "Is this okay?"

"It's perfect," Iris said. "I've really missed you lately."

"I was hoping you'd say that, because I picked up some work that's gonna keep me over here for the next few months," Miles said.

Months? A few months of Miles every day? Iris thought it was almost too good to be true. "You didn't tell me."

"I thought it might be a nice surprise," Miles said, clearly trying to judge her reaction. "Is it?"

Iris decided she'd sooner show him than tell him, so she stepped through the doorway and kissed Miles, wrapping her arms around him. Miles's free arm curved around her, holding her tight, as it rained all around them. They had their own small umbrella oasis.

"Definitely a nice surprise," Miles said as they pulled apart, a little breathless. "People don't kiss like that for mediocre ones."

Iris laughed, taking his hand. "Come in."

Miles closed his umbrella once he was over the threshold, shaking it into the wet night before closing the door behind him. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too," Iris said, helping him get off his sodden raincoat. "Did you just get here?"

Miles nodded. "I took a taxi to the end of the road and walked the rest of the way. Thought pulling up in front of your place in a cab would give up the game too fast."

"You're utterly ridiculous," Iris said, pressing another kiss to his mouth. "And wonderful."

"That's what I've been going for," Miles said with a grin.

"Would you like some tea? I could--" Iris began.

"No! I said I'd make you tea and give you a neck rub, and I keep my promises," Miles said. He looked at Iris's kitchen and paused. "Except you have to tell me how to use the kettle, cause I don't know how the kind you have works."

"It's very simple," Iris said, guiding Miles into the kitchen.

"Simple is good," Miles said.

It wasn't until Iris had her cup of tea and was well into Miles's neck rub that she remembered what they had been talking about before they answered the door. "You never did tell me why Arthur was so happy."

Miles chuckled. "Cause I told him I was gonna do this and he totally loved it. Said it was very, uh...meet cute, I think is what he said?"

"I'm sure it is," Iris said, smiling at the thought. She closed her eyes as Miles's fingers worked a sore muscle. "Mm. Right there."

"Yes, ma'am," Miles said.

Iris hummed happily, letting herself relax. A few months of Miles. This was going to be lovely.


End file.
